Gaseous electric discharge device



Get. 4, 1932.

H. EWEST ET AL fi v GASEOUS ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Oct. 3, 1930 INVENTORS 56W (51W ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HANS EWEST, F BERLIN, AND GEORG GAIDIES, or BEnLm-rmxow, GERMANY,

ASSIGNOBS TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK GASEOUS ELECTRIC Application filed October 3, 1930, Serial No.

The present invention relates to gaseous electric discharge devices generally and more particularly the invention relates to such devices of the positive column type in which the gaseous discharge passes through a conhold use.

stricted passage in the interior of the container of the device similar to that described in German patent application P. 61,728, November 29, 1929.

In the application referred to above the gaseous discharge path extending between the anode and the cathode is concentrated at a part of its length in a tube of small diameter surrounding the discharge path and protruding from the walls of the chamber, said chamber enclosing one of the electrodes and the greater part of the luminous positive column; the concentrated part of the electric discharge in the tube being visible only in the direction of the tube through the exterior end thereof. According to this invention the part of the positive column concentrated in the tube is visible only through a narrow slit in the walls of the tube. The new and novel gaseous electric discharge device may be made in sizes similar to those of the well known incandescent bulb suitable for house The usual commercial voltages may be used to start and to operate the lamp.

The object of the invention is to provide a slit-like light source of great brilliancy and intensity, useful in the arts generally and being particularly useful in connection with spectrometry and television.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification an embodiment of the invention is shown in elevation and partly sectional for purposes of illustration.

Referring to the drawing the invention comprises a glass container 1 having a stem 2 fused therein. Leads 4, 5, 6, 7 are sealed in said stem 2. Lead 4 is connected to support 8 of the metal cylinder 9, said cylinder 9 being closed at one end by a metal cap 10 and at the other end by a plate 11 made of insulation material to form a chamber enclosb ing the electron emitting incandescent filamentary cathode 12. The supports 13, 14 of said cathode 12 pass through glass rods 15, 16, which extend up from stem 2 and through DISCHARGE nnvron 486,229, and in Germany'Noveinber so, 1929.

plate 11, and are connected to leads 5, 6. In the wall of said cylinder 9, above, and at the greatest possible distance from, said cathode 12 is a protruding tube 17 having a longitudinal opening 18 in the walls thereof, said tube 17 being located above said cathode 12 to prevent the light emitted by said cathode 12 from entering said tube 17 and going out through said opening 18. Said tube 17 is closed at its outer end by a metal cap 20, said cap 20 being insulated from tube 17 by a ring 19 of insulation material and is the anode. Cap anode 20 has a support 21 sealed into stem 2 and connected to lead 7. The container 1 is filled with the usual electrical conducting gases such as rare gases or mixtures of these gases with common gases, or metal vapors.

In the starting of the device the cathode 12 is first heated by connecting leads 5 and 6 thereof into the circuit. When cathode 12 is heated to an electron emitting temperature switch 24 is opened to disconnect lead 6 from the current source. The line voltage of the source is then applied to the cathode 12 over the lead 5 and to chamber 9, 10, 11 through lead 4. connected to anode lead 7 by closing switch 25, chamber 9, 10, 11 and anode 20 thus being connected in parallel during the starting of the device. An electric discharge is thus established between the inner walls of chamber 9, 10, 11 and cathode 12 to ionize the gas in said chamber 9, 10, 11. When switch 25 is open circuited the positive column discharge is established between anode 20 and cathode 12, the path of the discharge extending through tube 17 and being visible as a brilliant and intense light through slit 18. The brilliancy of the light emitted by the luminous positive discharge column is due to the concentration of the discharge column in tube 17 and the high current densities it is possible to use in connection with the electron emitting cathode 12.

While We have shown and described a particular embodiment of our invention it will e understood that various substitutions, modifications and changes in the form and details of the device and in its use and operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention, for exam Ie, the anode, cathode and the metal cham r may be placed in other positions with respect to each other in the container of the device and various switch means such as a time switch may be used in the starting 0 eration, and the anode 20 is, if desired, ma e annular so that the luminous positive column in the tube 17 is visible end on in the direction of the horizontal axis of the tube 17, as set forth in the above referred to German patent application P. 61,728.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In an electric discharge device, a container, electrodes sealed therein, a gaseous filling therein, a chamber in said container and a tube of small diameter in the walls of said chamber surrounding the discharge path between said electrodes, one of said electrodes being arranged in said chamber and off-set from the axis extendin through said tube, another of said electro es being ada ted to close the exterior end of said tube, said tube having a slit in the walls thereof.

2. In an electric discharge lamp, a container, electrodes sealed therein, a gaseous filling therein, a metal chamber in said container and a tube of small diameter protruding from the walls of said chamber surrounding the discharge path between said electrodes, one of said electrodes being an incandescent electrode arranged in said chamber and off-set from the axis extending through said tube so that none of the light emitted thereby goes through said tube, an other of said electrodes being adapted to close the exterior end of said tube, said tube adapted to close the end of said protruding constricted portion, said protruding portion having slit in the walls t ereof.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 16th da of Se tember 1930.

. H NS E EST;

GEORG GAIDIES.

having a longitudinal slit in the walls thereof.

3. In an electric discharge device, a container, electrodes sealed therein, a gaseous filling therein, a chamber in said container surrounding the discharge path between said electrodes and having a protruding constricted portion along the discharge path,

one of said electrodes being arranged in said chamber and ofl-set from the axis extending through said constricted portion, another of said electrodes being arranged outside of said chamber and being adapted to close the end of said protruding constricted portion, said protruding portion having a slit in the walls thereof.

4. In an electric disch'argedevice, a conbeing 

